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The ACT recorded its first road fatality for 2026 after a two-vehicle crash on the Monaro Highway on Friday morning.
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The highway was closed in one direction after a car and truck allegedly crashed at the Royalla Drive intersection.
The driver of the car, a 25-year-old man, was extricated from his vehicle.
ACT Ambulance Service paramedics treated the man at the scene before he was transported to hospital in a critical condition. He died on Friday afternoon.
The truck driver did not suffer any injuries.
The southbound lane remained closed at 5pm, just after the Royalla Drive turnoff near the ACT border, following the crash about 11.30am.
Traffic is being diverted through Royalla. The northbound lane is open, but traffic is understood to be moving slowly.
“It is a bit too early to determine exactly what caused the crash,” acting sergeant from the ACT Police major collision team, Nathan Smorhun said.
“Initial reports suggest the driver failed to give way when exiting Royalla Drive. It really goes to show how attentive you need to be behind the wheel of a car.
“A couple of seconds of lapse in concentration can have disastrous effects.
“Just because you thought it was clear, but check again. You never know what you may have missed on a first look.”
ACT Road Policing’s Major Collision Team is investigating the circumstances of the crash and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Anyone who witnessed the incident who has not already spoken to police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers via the Crime Stoppers ACT website, quoting reference number P2414070.
Lucinda Garbutt-Young is a public sector and federal politics reporter. She was previously The Canberra Times’ property reporter and national video lead, after coming to the capital via the Newcastle Herald. Got a tip? Email her at l.garbutt-young@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Lucinda Garbutt-Young is a public sector and federal politics reporter. She was previously The Canberra Times’ property reporter and national video lead, after coming to the capital via the Newcastle Herald. Got a tip? Email her at l.garbutt-young@austcommunitymedia.com.au
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